GETTING READY FOR THE BIG MELA

The legislative clearance for a new National Investigation Agency (NIA) marks an interesting beginning to a new year which literally started with a blast. With the political juggernaut trying to create its own USP every time to garner the vote bank we did need an agency which lays down the basic policies in a cohesive manner, to allow the credibility it needs to function smoothly even with any change in the governance.

And now with that having been taken care of we can move towards the big Mela of the year – The General Election! - which is already being predicted to be the most BORING EVENT OF THIS YEAR – with no clear carrot to dangle before the voters this time.

I would like to see this as a great opportunity to revamp the entire style and functioning of political parties who have been extremely smug and shameless in using religious difference all along for gaining political mileage.

With the common man on the road waking up to the terror tales can we hope to be more enlightened hereafter to not to get carried away by the effusive and inconsequential speeches of our leaders? We often talk of political will little realising we the voters, form its bulwark.

If today there are no other clear cut party policy and tackling terror becomes the primary focus – let us by all means work towards this national agenda together – as Indians and one party - free from the narrow boundaries of party politics, religion and caste and gender.

Despite the lack of so called “voters choice” we do have a great opportunity here to change things around. The traditional Mela with blaring speeches and thronging sycophants may wear a more subdued look this time - The huge pandals and garlands and the entire fanfare may well be done away with. Let the leaders come up and establish their credibility – state their track record one by one and speak to us genuinely for once and promise to work towards national goals with just greater zeal and commitment. We should be looking for the best candidates who can take our national agendas ahead, fearlessly and faithfully - be it our nuclear or our space programme, our agriculture or our urban infrastructures, our higher education or our job opportunities... WE need to set our bench marks and ask the candidates to achieve those targets hereafter.